Forbidden Attraction
by Future Ex-Mrs Malcolm
Summary: Open your mind for an offthewall couple fic involving Sully and Cruz. Remember: Open your mind.
1. Chapter One

Forbidden Attraction  
Written by: Red  
Rating: PG-13  
Disclaimer: I do not own Third Watch. It's that simple.  
Summary: Sully and Cruz find them falling for the people they least expect: Each other.  
  
Chapter One (really short chapter)  
  
He shouldn't be around her, he knew, but for some reason, he just couldn't stay away. No matter how many times she told him to "Go away, fat man," he just couldn't stop his desire to be around her every second of every day. So what if she was a notorious liar that would stab someone in the back without a moment's notice? He was attracted to her for some reason, even though he was probably old enough to be her father.   
Ever since their first meeting, he couldn't help being attracted to her for reasons he could not understand. No matter how many times she screwed someone over, he would still want her even more. Maybe it was just because she was considered by many to be a bitch, maybe he just wanted a stronger woman than Tatiana.  
It didn't matter. Officer John "Sully" Sullivan had it bad for Sergeant Maritza Cruz.


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two  
  
She was seated at her desk doing paperwork. The bosses wanted to keep her out of trouble because some big-shot politician was in town, and they didn't want any bad press for the NYPD while he was in town, so they did the best thing they thought they could do: put Maritza Cruz on desk duty.  
It didn't matter to her; she was used to it. Her big mouth and habit of doing everything possible to get her way, even if it meant stabbing someone in the back, figuratively or literally, had caused her to make many enemies on the force.  
He walked by again. For some reason, every time he walked by, her heart skipped a beat. He was much older than she was, yet she still felt an undeniable attraction to the officer known as Sully. But she knew that she'd never act on the attraction. With her reputation, she'd be lucky to get a date with a janitor, much less a fellow cop. Besides, Sully was friends with Faith Yokas.  
Faith Yokas. A name she felt was synonymous with the devil. The bitch shot her, so she had no respect for her. Even if she did kind of shoot Faith, too. But so what? You cross Maritza Cruz; Maritza Cruz hates you for life. Even though Bosco tried to take the blame, she knew the truth. Just a little bit closer, and everybody would've been saying "Bye bye, Maritza". And it would've been all because of that bitch Faith Yokas.  
"Man, I hate that bitch," Cruz muttered.  
"Did you say something?" Sully asked.  
"Does it look like I said something?"  
"It sounded like it."  
"What do you want, Sullivan?"  
"Cup of coffee."  
"The pot's over there," she replied, pointing across the room.  
"With you. A cup of coffee with you."  
She busted out laughing, "What the hell would make you think I would ever want a cup of coffee with you?"  
"Boredom, maybe?"  
"Damn, Sully, you're crazier than I thought."  
"Just consider it."  
She started to speak.  
"For more than one second," he stopped her.  
"I'll think about it." she replied. "No guarantees."  
"No guarantees, of course. See ya around."  
"See ya."  
He left the room, and she thought, "Oh, man, Maritza. You're in trouble now."


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter 3

By the end of his shift, he was more than anxious what her answer would be. He knew that she had a reputation for being a hard-nosed bitch, but he didn't care. Now, if only he could get to her office without raising suspicion.  
"Hey, Sul, where ya going?" his partner, Ty Davis, asked while he was trying to get away.  
"None of your business," he replied.  
"You're not going to Cruz's office, are you?"  
"No, of course not," he replied, hoping Ty wouldn't catch him in that lie.  
"Yeah, right." he paused. "You've got a thing for her, don't you?"  
Busted. "No, of course not," Sully replied, trying to laugh it off.  
"Liar. Stooping down to her level now, aren't ya?"  
"Of course not, Ty. I'm not going to her office."  
"Yeah, right."  
"I'm not. If you keep bugging me about Cruz, I'm going to start bugging you about your date with Sasha Monroe."  
"I don't care. At least she isn't Maritza Cruz. G'night, Sully."  
"Goodnight, Davis. Have fun on your date."  
"Yeah, you too."  
"I don't have a date."  
"Later, Sul." Ty said with laughter in his voice, before walking away.  
When Ty had gotten far enough away, Sully proceeded to Cruz's office for the second time that day. When he entered, he asked, "Have you considered my offer from earlier today?"  
"I've considered it, and I've decided to accept," she replied.  
"Really?" he asked, shocked.  
"Really. You sound surprised?"  
"Yeah, well, I didn't think a woman like you would ever go out for coffee with me."  
"A woman like me? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"  
"Smart, beautiful, with lots of attitude type of woman. What did you think I meant?"  
"Just forget it. Are you ready to go? Or are you too afraid of what everyone else might think?"  
"If I was afraid of what everyone else might think, I wouldn't have asked you out for coffee in the first place."  
"Asked me out for coffee? You're starting to make this sound like a date." she laughed.  
"It can be if you want it to be. I haven't been on a date in a while, how about you?"  
"It's been a while."  
"So, is this a date, then?"  
"Sure, what the hell? Let's live a little."  
He walked to the door as she retrieved her coat from the hook next to the door. He helped her into her coat, and they walked out together, ignoring the curious glances of others.


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four  
  
They arrived at the small coffee shop around 9:15 that night. They sat at a booth in a corner of the room, where they could talk with the least amount of interruptions. Before they arrived, they had went home to change, Sully into a long sleeved black button up shirt and black jeans, Cruz into a low-cut red v-neck top and low-slung dark blue hip-hugger jeans. She was wearing dark crimson lipstick, mascara, brown eye shadow--stuff that she never wore on a date. And he had his hair carefully combed, and his black shoes actually matched his belt this time. Neither could figure out why they dressed up so much for just a cup of coffee, but that didn't change the fact that they did.  
"You look great," Sully said to her.  
"You too," she replied. "Why are we dressed up for a cup of coffee?" she asked.  
"I'm not sure," he laughed.  
"I wonder when the waitress will get over here."  
"I have no idea. She looks pretty busy to me."  
"Yeah. So, how did your day go?"  
"Wasn't too exciting. We caught a few purse-snatchers, gave a few tickets, the usual. How did your day go?"  
"Boring as hll. All I did all day was paperwork, paperwork, and more paperwork."  
"That sucks."  
"Yeah, it does. So, what are you going to get when the waitress gets her a$$ over here?"  
"Probably just black coffee. You?"  
"Probably the same. I heard not long ago about Tatiana, how are you doing after that?"  
"After my wife died? How do you expect me to be?"  
"You don't have to get so defensive. I'm just asking if you're, you know, okay. I know you still miss her and everything, but I want to know how you're doing without her. Give me some credit, I'm trying to show some compassion, here."  
"Okay. I'm okay. I miss her, but I'm finally starting to recover."  
"Good."  
Just then, the waitress, a young teenager with long, bleach blonde hair and braces on her teeth arrived to take their orders.  
"Two black coffees," Sully ordered. "Should be simple enough."  
"Yes, sir," the bubbly waitress replied, with a New York accent. "I'll be right back. You two hang on."  
After the waitress walked away, the pair sat in an awkward silence until shortly after the waitress returned with their coffees. Finally, Cruz broke the ice and said, "You can ask about it, you know."  
"What?" Sully asked. "Your attack?"  
"I wasn't really attacked, just violated."  
"While you were undercover."  
"Yeah. I've been going to a rape counselor, along with a weekly support group, so I'm recovering pretty well. Men don't bother me anymore. I know now that it wasn't my fault, so I don't blame myself anymore."  
"So, you are recovering well."  
"Yes. I'm handling it better than I handled Lettie dying, that's for sure."  
"Yeah, I think you went a little psycho when she died."  
"Yeah," she slightly laughed. "But you know how it is to lose someone you care about."  
"Tatiana, yeah. She was my wife, so I didn't give a dmn that she was a prostitute for the Russian mafia. I loved her. It's still hard, because I think about her every second of every day. You have no idea how hard it was for me to bring myself to ask you out."  
"You have no idea how hard it was for me to get myself to accept. God, this is an unbelievably depressing conversation for a first date. We should be talking about cheerful things like sports..."  
He interrupted, "There's nothing cheerful about sports."  
"Yeah, I guess you're right," she laughed. "How about TV?"  
"All that's on these days is reality shows and soap operas, so why would we want to talk about that?"  
She started laughing, "How about pets?"  
"The eternal dogs versus cats debate? Dogs win in my book."  
"Dogs are definitely better. What kind would you want?"  
"You might think this is crazy, but I've always wanted a chihuahua."  
"You want a chihuahua? If you want a chihuahua, you might as well get a cat."  
"Cats are ugly and unfriendly animals. Chihuahuas are lovable, cute, little humans."  
"Cute? I never thought I'd ever hear you say that, Sully."  
"You can call me John."  
"Naw, Sully sounds better. Besides, I'm more used to calling you Sully. But you can call me Maritza, except at work, of course."  
"Of course, Maritza. So, what kind of dog would you want?"  
"A doberman or a rottweiler."  
"Should've known that you'd go for the more 'vicious' dogs."  
She slightly chuckled, "Yeah, but who would've thought you'd go for chihuahuas?"  
"I don't know," he laughed.  
They talked nonstop until the waitress told them that it was closing time. They put on their coats and walked outside into the cool, autumn air. They'd both honestly thought they wouldn't have a good time, but they ended up talking about almost anything and everything. She learned that he could sing, and he learned that she hated horror movies. They both shared a love for dogs, and they shared a mutual hatred for cats and romance novels.  
They got into their respective cars, and he followed her to her apartment building.  
"Since we went in separate cars, you don't have to escort me to the door," she told him.  
"What if I want to," he said, after he'd gotten out of his car at her building.  
He led her up to the door, and when they had reached the top of the steps, they said goodnight to each other. Then, he kissed her gently on the lips before descending the stairs.  
"You can come up if you want to," she said.  
"No, thanks. I think we'd better wait."  
"Okay, if you say so."  
She entered the building as he pulled away, hoping that he'd ask her out again. She hated to admit, but she was already starting to fall for him.


	5. Chapter Five

In the PD locker room, officers Maurice "Bosco" Boscorelli, Ty Davis, and Faith Yokas were all getting ready for their shifts, when Bosco asked, "Hey, Ty, did you hear anything about Sully going out with Cruz last night?"  
"He denied it yesterday, but it was obvious he was lying."  
"Starting to be like her, then," Faith joked.  
"Maybe he's ashamed to be caught dating Maritza," Bosco said.  
"You sure weren't," Ty said.  
"That was before I learned she was an insane psychopath."  
Sully walked into the room, and the entire conversation stopped. "Let me guess, you guys were talking about my supposed 'date' with Cruz last night?"  
"Did you go on a date with her?" Bosco asked.  
"No, just coffee," Sully replied.  
"Coffee? That's even worse," Faith said.  
"Not really. It's not like we had sex or anything."  
"Did she ask for it?" Bosco asked.  
"No, she didn't," Sully replied.  
"Yeah, right! You just wouldn't admit it, would you?" Bosco said.  
"Hey, why don't you leave him alone. He said they just went out for coffee, and she didn't ask him for sex, and it wasn't a date, so you should just drop it."  
"Anyways, speaking of dates, how did your date with Monroe go last night?" Faith asked Ty.  
"Fine. We went to dinner and a movie, that's it."  
"Uh huh, sure," Bosco said.  
"Get your mind out of the gutter, Bos," Sully said. "Not everybody has sex on the first date like you."  
"Ouch, Sully. I am sincerely hurt by that statement," Bosco said, feigning seriousness.  
"You'll get over it," Faith replied.  
"What is this? Bitch at Bosco Day?" Bosco asked.  
"Every day is Bitch at Bosco Day," Ty replied.  
The rest of the day was rather uneventful. Sully and Cruz didn't get a chance to speak with each other about their denied date the previous night, or to plan another one, which both hoped would happen, even though they wouldn't admit it to anyone else.  
That evening, Sully stopped by Cruz's office to ask her if she'd be interested in going out again.  
"Hey, Maritza, would you be interested in going out for...I don't know...another cup of coffee?"  
"Tonight?" she replied.  
"Yeah, sure, unless two nights of coffee in a row is too much for you."  
"No, that's fine.  
"Same time as yesterday?"  
"Sure. Same place?"  
"If you want."  
"Okay. That's fine. It's a nice, quiet place, private, not too many people. I like it."  
"See you at seven o'clock tonight, then?" Sully asked.  
"Yeah, see ya," Cruz replied.


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six  
  
On the way to Cruz's apartment for their date, Sully is mugged and shot. Short chapter.  
  
As she pulled her hair back into a ponytail, she couldn't help but think about the night before. She never would've thought she'd ever be even remotely interested in officer John "Sully" Sullivan, but for some reason, she found herself undeniably drawn to him. Maybe it was because both of them had been knocked down by the world around them, or maybe she was just sick of the arrogant, hottie guys that she usually dated. Maurice Boscorelli came immediately to mind.  
  
Bosco was her biggest mistake. She crossed the boundary between work and play with him, and ended up getting hurt, both physically and emotionally. Cruz kept trying to convince herself that this time it was different; that it wasn't about sex. But she wasn't too sure. She was never too sure.  
  
Sully was pretty much old enough to be her father, but that didn't matter, at least not to her. He treated her with respect; he always had. Even though he seemed like a grumpy hardass at work, when they went out the previous night, he showed a side that Cruz didn't think he possessed. He was actually very sweet, hanging on to every word she said, listening instead of hearing. Maybe this time it would work out; maybe it would not. She was not sure where their relationship was going, but she hoped it was going somewhere.  
  
Deciding against the ponytail, she pulled her hair back down and ran a brush through her long, black locks. No matter how hard she tried, she felt that she wasn't dressed appropriately for him. Even if he was several years her senior, John "Sully" Sullivan still managed to make her heart skip a beat whenever he looked at her with his deep, dark eyes. And his smile, God she could get lost in his smile. Although he wasn't the youngest man in the world, he still fit her definition of the perfect man, after only one coffee date. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't help but hope that Sully was "the one" like all of the cheesy romance novels talked about.

****

——————————————————————————————  
  
Sully was walking down the sidewalk towards Cruz's apartment when he felt an arm reach around him, covering his mouth, and another one putting a gun to his head. A loud, deep voice said to him, "Give me all of your money or I'll blow your damn brains out."  
  
Sully reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. The robber counted the money and said, "I said ALL your money!"  
  
"That's all I've got," Sully said.  
  
"Bullshit," the man replied, before hitting Sully in the head with the butt of the pistol. "That'll teach you to lie to me again, old fat ass." After that, the man shot Sully once in the abdomen...


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter 7  
  
_In the hospital, Bosco tries to start something with both Cruz and Davis, but Monroe puts him in his place._  
  
"Hospitals always have the worst coffee," Cruz thought. "Hospitals and police stations. You're under stress, and they give you a cup of sludge or brown water that they try to pass off as coffee. At least it helps you forget what you're there for."  
  
She took another sip of the bitter liquid and let out a long sigh, leaning back onto the hard, "leather" covered chair. She'd been sitting in the OR waiting room for over an hour without any word from the doctors on Sully's condition. He had been in the ER for about thirty minutes before that while they stabilized him. Davis and Monroe arrived about forty minutes before, and they had exchanged some small talk. Davis was obviously worried about his partner, and with good reason: Sully had been hit in the head with God-knows-what, and then he'd been shot. Davis had asked her several times what had happened, and she had told him several times that she did not know. She was in her apartment when she heard the gunshot, and she had not seen anything. The gunman had already disappeared by the time she had reached Sully.  
  
Ty Davis half-heartedly flipped through an old copy of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition that was lying on the table in front of him. He was so worried about Sully that he could barely see straight. Sully was his best friend, more like a father or big brother than anything. Sully had even taken the test to get into law school when Davis was nervous about the test.  
  
And Davis had been there for Sully in many ways as well. He was there for Sully when Tatiana was murdered; he was there for Sully when Sully had developed a drinking problem. The two partners cared about each other more than most people cared for their own families. Truth was, they were family. They had risked their lives together almost daily to help people they did not even know. And now, one of the members of that family had been brought down outside of work, and the son-of-a-bitch that put Sully was going to pay for that, probably with his pathetic, miserable life.  
  
Maurice "Bosco" Boscorelli entered the waiting room, his eyes locking on one person instantly: Cruz.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?" he shouted forcefully at her.  
  
"Bosco, I..."  
  
"No, what the HELL are you doing here?!"  
  
"Bosco, back off," Davis said, suddenly standing up.  
  
"I just wanna know why the hell this bitch is here." Bosco said harshly.  
  
"She's here because Sully was shot outside her apartment building on his way to a date with her," Davis replied, getting into Bosco's face.  
  
"You wanna start something, Davis?" Bosco asked.  
  
"Hell no, I wanna finish it!"  
  
"Guys, guys, GUYS! Stop it! You're acting like immature fourth graders!" Monroe shouted. "Sully is in there fighting for his life, and you guys are out here fighting for the hell of it! Do you two realize that you sound like idiots? Now, shut the hell up and sit down. And Bosco, leave her alone."  
  
"What?" Bosco said.  
  
"You heard me. Leave Cruz alone. She's upset right now. She and Sully were going on their second date tonight. Don't harass her. Is that clear?" Monroe said, forcefully.  
  
"Clear as a bell," Bosco replied.  
  
"Good. Now, sit down, far away from her, and don't even so much as give her a dirty look. If you do, I'll make damn sure you'll never be able to have sex again." Monroe said, her and Davis returning to their seats.  
  
"Looks like someone OD'd it on the bitch pills today," Bosco muttered.  
  
"Oh, grow up," Cruz said without looking up.


	8. Chapter Eight

Forbidden Attraction  
  
Chapter 8  
  
Cruz silently crept into the darkened hospital room. In a bed in the center of the room, Sully was still asleep after his surgery. The doctor had told her that Sully would make a full recovery, and that he had no brain damage from the head injury. The police had since caught the assailant, and he was in lockup at the station, crying for his lawyer, even though they'd found a gun and Sully's wallet on the man, so there was no way he could get away with the crime.  
  
She walked over to the right side of the bed and gently ran her fingers through his hair, trying to avoid disturbing him. Her gentle touch woke him from his sleep.  
  
"Hey," he whispered.  
  
"Hey yourself," she replied. "You remember what happened?"  
  
"I remember getting mugged and hit in the head, but that's it."  
  
"You were also shot, but the doctor says you'll make a full recovery."  
  
"That's good," he said. "Listen, Maritza, I'm sorry about our date..."  
  
"Hey, don't worry about it," she replied. "It's not the first time I've been stood up."  
  
"Unintentionally this time," he smiled.  
  
"I'm glad you're okay. I had a good time with you the other night, and I'd like to continue seeing you, if that's okay."  
  
"That'd be great. The day I get outta here, I'll take you wherever you want, what do you say?"  
  
"Okay, yeah, sure."  
  
"I'm glad you're here," Sully said, "and not somewhere else."  
  
"Where else would I be?"  
  
Two weeks later, Sully was discharged from the hospital. And he kept his word. He took Cruz to her favorite restaurant, on the first of many more dates.  
  
_I'm not going to say that they lived "happily ever after" because that's such a big cliché. Plus, there's always the small chance there might be a sequel, if you ask enough. No promises, though._


End file.
